Crouched down Luce looks at Kyle methodically; she tries to distance herself as Gran taught her. 'You must treat the patient like an animal, compassion but detachment, elsewise you young lady will not be able to do owt.'

She takes a deep breath, pulls off her leather jacket and tucks it under his head. Carefully she checks him over for wounds, bite marks, or other sites whereby he may have been drugged. "If it's divine intervention or arcane magic, then I know not what to do."

Luce cracks open her Grandmothers totemic box, the small wooden box creaks gently and the pungent smell of spices and herbs eminates as Luce thinks about a poultice.

It does not take Luce long to work out the source of the problem. The captives have been forced to inhale toxic smoke, probably to make them more malleable. Taking them into the open air will cure them fast enough, but they will only be able to move slowly and with guidance.

She looks to the others as she gently mops Kyles' brow; "Does someone want to check out t' stairs to see where it leads. Shout if there's trouble, I'll make sure these are ready to leave." she asks. "They just need a breath of fresh air, dales air it'll fix 'em reet up."

With all the noise being made, Varis follows up after the first two, keeping to the shadows, and kepping cover behind the edge of the stairs to get the jump on anything that may be above. He moves with his usual silence.

Ye gods and little fishes. This is insane. Flickr have replaced something editable with something non-editable. I could spit. Until I can get something sorted out, I can't update anything. I'm so very sorry.

Aurix bolsters himself then sets off after the others, grumbling darkly and hefting his axe, intent on rooting out this foul cult to the very roots. His temper was not helping and he rumbled deep in his throat when he sees the party assembled before a door.

Varis takes a brief moment to look the door over, trying to get a read on whether there is anything funny going on with it, or beyond it.

Perception 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19 (passive 20)

"I don't think it's locked, but what's beyond I can't be sure." He indicates to the two foremost on the stairs, implying that there is no reason they shouldn't just open it.

Rosey, I use PowerPoint and post to Flickr. If that's not an option there is another program I came across when I first started that you can give edit permissions to each player and they can move their own. It's like Dabbleboard or something. It's like a big Dry Erase Whiteboard online.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll take a look at Dabbleboard and Google spreadsheets as options. Otherwise I'm left with Photobucket which I abandoned long ago for slow loading, losing maps and other sins. I have to have something easily editable with four games, two of which have split themselves into two parties.

Anastria - in range, but off map
Vondal - in range but off map
Tiberious
Witherling - BLOODIED; no action this round; slowed and cant' shift to end next turn
Luce - out of range
Aurix
Varis - +1 to next attack against Witherling

As Anastria comes up the stairs, Luce is tending to the halflings. Having cleared the altar and thrown a dirty rag over it, Luce has placed the child-sized people sat on the edge whilst she tends to their wounds and tries to clear their heads.

With a look of concentration upon her face, Luce turns to the new-comer. Anastria explaining her situation causes the emotional Luce to mist up; with a big hug to her friend she whispers to the departing lady. "You are a grand lass, a good friend. Know that you'll always be welcome at the stead, if thee finds themselves o'er tha. I hope to see thee agin, I'll have that drink with thee, hang on."

Luce rumages in a small sack and produces a wine bottle. "Elderberry wine, me Ma's brew - the best. Have a drink on me and check ta see Betsy's alreet on thee way owt." her voice hoarse with sorrow and joy.

As she watches Anastria move Luce stands with a thin smile upon her face. 'I hoped that I could introduce her to Kyle properly. He needs a good woman.'

After having a good look at the victims she places her loose over shirt over them to keep them warm. Putting back on her flexible leather, she follows the 'men-folk'.

Down the stairs she just about catches up with the last of them; "You guys alright. Anastria's left,' he voice nearly cracks but she won't let it show infront of the Wolf-man 'the injured are upstairs, they should be safe.... with a bit a luck. They ain't going anywhere, 'til we finished with this place. Found owt else?" She carries on following the group.

Move to M6
Aurix cleans off the blade of his axe and glances behind him to nod once at Varis for helping him dispatch the bloody creature then he steps over the piled lump of stuff left from it and continues on into the room, shield and axe held ready. He snorts once at the news the Eladrin in gone.

"Pity that, she knew the right way to hurt those things." He shrugs then and keeps walking.

He holds up a hand to halt the advance of the others, and then mimics his best version of a bear trap closing. Without waitng for signs of understanding, he rounds the corner, approaches the obstacle, and with tools at the ready prepares to attempt disarming it.

Luce keeps near the rear of the group, she whispers to the tall Elf; "If you need a flank, just call out. I know you can merge with the shadows if needs be, but I am a quick 'un." she says with a wink.

Aurix grunts once at Varis as he passes by, shield and axe raised still, meaning to cut down any opponent that attacks them now. He is still not in the best of moods and this business with dark gods, abducted and altered prisoners and black magic having put him into a foul temperment. Still, it was nothing to interfere with his work here, but he would much rather be fighting an orc in the open than a cult in the shadows.

The door swings open revealing a brightly lit chamber lined with plants. Scattered in heaps are random piles of gold coins, while to the back of the room is a halfling sized bed below an elaborate headboard.

Luce carefully enters the room, she knows exactly where all the information and evil will be... she goes to look under the bed.

Ignoring the boring letters and plans on the desk, Luce flicks up the sheets. Holding her nose tightly she looks; "Dere's a gazundah, hang on is dere owt behind it." she says in a nasal voice. She moves the chamberpot out of they way with a carefull finger.

Quickly noting that Morgana had green fingers and that the plants comprise an indoor vegetable garden and herb patch, Luce turns her attention to the unsavoury contents of a the gazunder. Nothing else is under the bed.

After a quick glance, Luce looks away from the pottery bowl. Her keen senses and heightened smell acting more as a hinderance than a help. 'Where do you keep important stuff? I know where I keep me diary!

The small bed reminding her of the child's bed that she used until rather too recently, not having the resources to get a new one. She removes the pillow and looks underneath for a diary or herb lore book. Then she moves over to the herbs and plants trying to find which ones may have been used to drug Kyle and the rest of the halflings.